It wasn't long ago, recall the night of May 8-9. Pakistan flooded India's border cities with drones and missiles. Following Operation Sindhur, Indian airbases were under the grip of Pakistani missile attacks. In this unprecedented crisis, India's missile defense system delivered a stupefying response to Pakistan. All Pakistani missiles were intercepted and destroyed mid-air by India's Akashteer Missile Defense System, S-400 batteries. This prowess of modern warfare, the missile defense system, amazed military experts with its capabilities and utility.
Missile defenses operating with radar, satellites, and AI-based sensors quickly identify threats and destroy missiles in the air, keeping civilian and military infrastructure safe. These systems provide time for countermeasures during war, maintaining strategic balance.
On October 7, 2023, during an attack by Hamas in Israel, Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system performed outstandingly, obliterating dozens of drones and missiles mid-air. This system continues to protect Israel today.
President Donald Trump is introducing a revolutionary change in the missile defense world, preparing to take defense mechanisms to a new level during warfare. A missile defense system prepared by Trump will make U.S. airspace impregnable, invincible, and unbreakable.
Trump has named this missile defense system the Golden Dome. With exceedingly high costs exceeding several trillion, cutting-edge technology, satellite surveillance, and Elon Musk's entry into the project, Trump's future weapon is set to become miraculous and lethal.
What Threats Does America Face? Why Does the Most Powerful Country Need the Golden Dome?
But the question arises, from whom does the world’s most powerful nation face threat? Currently, America is not engaged in direct war with any nation. Wherever it has military involvement on the world map, the enemies are minor forces, like the Houthis in Yemen, some rebel groups in Africa. Yet, Trump considers future battles and electronic warfare while making this decision.
When announcing the project, Trump did not name any country posing a potential threat. However, he did state that this system will protect against foreign missile attacks. So, who are these foreign ‘enemies’?
The primary threat to the United States comes from countries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea with potential missile attacks. The Wall Street Journal observes that China's and Russia's hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, and AI-based weaponry could pose future security challenges for the U.S.
Iran’s nuclear program and long-range missile capabilities are also emerging threats.
Non-state actors like the Houthis and Hamas have also motivated the U.S. to strengthen its air defenses, especially against hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, drone attacks, and AI-based threats.
Donald Trump pledged the development of this defense system in his electoral campaign. Announcing the program, he said, "I promised the American people that I would construct an advanced missile defense shield to protect our country from foreign missile threats, and today we are doing just that."
The Golden Dome's World-Range Coverage
The Golden Dome will operate a network of satellites to detect incoming missiles, track them, and potentially intercept them. It will deploy hundreds of satellites to detect and monitor missiles.
Trump stated that once completed, the Golden Dome will protect America from attacks launched from the farthest corners of the world and from space. According to Trump, the Golden Dome can destroy hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, and advanced cruise missiles in midair.
What Plan does Trump Have for the Golden Dome?
President Trump has stated that he envisions a fully operational Golden Dome by the end of his current term, in other words, by 2029. The estimated cost of this project is $175 billion, with an initial budget of $25 billion proposed.
Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has been awarded a contract to develop key components of this system. This missile defense system will be constructed in collaboration with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Palantir (software), and Anduril (drone manufacturer).
How Will It Work, Next-Level Technology
The Golden Dome will be a future weapon acting as multi-layer interceptors for America, enabling 360-degree threat detection. This defense system will be equipped with space-based sensors. In the regions within its range, any advancing threats will be detected by space satellites, preparing the Golden Dome for further actions. According to Popular Mechanics magazine, the Golden Dome will be connected with a network of over 1000 satellites to keep an eye on all of the U.S.A.
The Golden Dome future weapon will be capable of destroying short, medium, and long-range missiles mid-air. Notably, the existing Iron Dome of Israel has its limitations; during the Hamas attacks, several drones bypassed the Iron Dome. The Iron Dome is primarily designed to intercept short-range rockets and missiles, whereas the Golden Dome will be able to destroy long-range missiles, drones, and AI-based threats.
As part of this project, existing American missile defense systems like GMD and Aegis BMD will be upgraded to effectively intercept hypersonic missiles, making them an integral part of the Golden Dome.
This system will swiftly track any threat and promptly alert the U.S., providing time for responsive actions.
This system will enhance America's second-strike capability
(responsive actions post-initial attack)
and safeguard critical infrastructure like power grids, military bases, and government buildings.
President Trump stated that Canada has shown interest in this project. If this happens, the Golden Dome will make all of North America invulnerable to any threats.
How is the Golden Dome Different from the S-400?
The S-400, a top-class missile defense system currently used by India, was developed by Russia. It is primarily ground-based and designed to intercept short-to-medium range missiles (up to 400 km), in contrast to the Golden Dome, which is a space-based, multi-layer system capable of destroying threats from any direction, including long-range, hypersonic, and ballistic missiles. The Golden Dome will employ over a thousand satellites, laser weapons, and AI-based sensors, providing 360-degree threat detection and interception. Meanwhile, the S-400 has limited capabilities and heavily relies on ground-based radars.
What Are Trump’s Challenges?
Defense experts believe constructing the Golden Dome will be enormously expensive and technically challenging. Notably, Trump has initially released a substantial amount of $25 billion.
After America begins this project, the world, already facing an arms race challenge, could engage in another arms race focusing on missile defense systems. With America entering this game, countries like Russia and China may further advance their missile technologies in response, exacerbating the global arms race.
A Space Force General at the Helm
President Donald Trump has entrusted General Michael Gutheline with the leadership of this project. The Golden Dome represents an ambitious step towards making American defenses impregnable. This system will not only provide security against ballistic and hypersonic missiles but will also neutralize future AI and drone-based threats.
